Seeker

Pilgrimage has become more popular in recent years, perhaps encouraged by certain television programmes that follow groups of pilgrims walking well-known pilgrimage routes, like those to Santiago de Compostela. Traditionally, pilgrimages were meant to be physically and spiritually hard. The first pilgrimage in which I took part was when I was 17. I was staying with a French family in Paris on an exchange visit. The family with whom I was placed were devout Roman Catholics as was their daughter who was my exchange partner. The pilgrimage was over a weekend with a small group of older Girl Guides. It was led by a Roman Catholic priest. We started by taking a train to the outskirts of Paris. I don't remember where. That was the easy part. Our long walk on a wet spring weekend was not so easy. I especially remember a cafe stop for lunch. The priest had discovered that I was a Presbyterian. Over the meal he asked me to explain the difference between how I understood Holy Communion in my...